Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 15: Voicing discontent with the `ghost package’ announced by PM Narendra Modi failing to appropriately address the grievances of the Jammu people, NPP chairman Harshdev Singh expressed his apprehensions regarding the authenticity of the package.
Talking to media-persons here Mr Singh revealed that ambiguity still existed with regards to AIIMS and Smart City projects for Jammu in the PM’s package. While lauding the provision of Rs 4000 crores package for two AIIMS in J&K, he said that this capital would be spent on raising the ‘brick and mortar’ structure of the health edifices but a full fledge AIIMS with a recurring expenditure of Rs 300 crores per annum could not be established unless it was notified in the Gazette of India as per AIIMS Act.
Suspecting uncertainty over the issue, he disclosed that RTI filed by the NPP earlier seeking the details regarding the establishment of AIIMS in Jammu region categorically said that only one AIIMS had been sanctioned for J&K State as per AIIMS Act and no such information existed in the concerned office of the Union Ministry of Health pertaining to AIIMS for Jammu.
Mr Singh further showed his consternation on the development of two ‘Smart Cities’ in the State for which a provision of Rs 500 crores has been kept in the package. He pointed out that in the Pan- India mega project each Smart City would cost Rs 960 crore and he wondered how come two Smart Cities could be realized with the paltry allocation of Rs 500 crore for five years in the atrocious package.
Expressing shock over PM failing to redress the grievances of West Pak and PoJK refugees of 1947, Harshdev lambasted Mr Modi for out rightly discarding one lakh West Pak refugees from the provisions of the illusionary package who had been demanding conferment of State Subject rights and comprehensive settlement. He further disclosed that the dreams of over 10 lakh uprooted souls from PoJK who had been living as refugees in Jammu region were shattered when the package mentioned meager one-time monetary compensation of Rs 2000 crores as against expected Rs 9060 crores which was earlier proposed by the UPA Government. He dubbed the provision as ‘peanuts’ which had only rubbed the salt on their wounds.
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